News release 144/2006
(05 July 2006)

Your Excellency the Governor-General of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, Sir Cuthbert Sebastien
Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis and new Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community
Your Excellencies the Presidents of Haiti and of Suriname
Other Distinguished Heads of Government of the Member States and Associate States of the Caribbean Community
Honourable Ministers
Ambassadors Accredited to the Caribbean Community and other Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Members of Parliament
Secretaries General of the Commonwealth and of the Organisation of American States, and Other Distinguished Heads of International and Regional Organisations
Director General of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States
President of the Caribbean Development Bank
Chancellor of the University of the West Indies
President of the Caribbean Court of Justice
Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery
Specially invited guests
Representatives of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen

On this occasion of the Twenty-Seventh Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, it is a distinct honour for me, as its Secretary General, to warmly welcome you to this Opening Ceremony in St. Kitts and Nevis. In welcoming you all permit me to extend a very special welcome to the Most Hon. Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica, to His Excellency Rene Preval, President of the Republic of Haiti, and to the Hon. Dr. Lowell Lewis, Chief Minister of Montserrat. While this is the first Meeting as members of the Conference for Prime Minister Miller and Chief Minister Lewis, President Preval is no stranger to this gathering. We most certainly look forward to the vision, vigour and vitality which you will all bring to the Councils of the Community as we grapple with the many challenges facing the Region.

Heads of Government, Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me now to place on record our sincere gratitude to the Government and people of St Kitts and Nevis for the warm welcome we have all received and for the excellent arrangements they have put in place to make our sojourn here a comfortable one.

I would also like to express my appreciation and thanks to the distinguished Governor and staff of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, for their ready response in agreeing to make available, once again, their exquisite facilities for the hosting of a meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community. Thank you, Mr. Governor.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me a very special pleasure to welcome to the Chairmanship of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Community the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, the Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas.

We are all keenly aware of his deep commitment to the integration process, and particularly of the vitality and dedication that he has displayed as the Head of Government with Lead responsibility for Health and Human Resources. We are assured that under his leadership the Community shall certainly grow from strength to strength.

As indeed it has been, under the immediate past Chairman the Honourable Patrick Manning, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, who for the past six months, presided over the affairs of the Community as it deepened and strengthened into a Single Market. As Chairman, he spearheaded in a very meaningful way, the operationalisation of the regional Development Fund, a critical pillar of the CSME. Indeed,  the Chairman truly took his role to heart, rolled up his sleeves and moved the Community forward. Thank you, Prime Minister, for that progress, and on behalf of the staff of the Secretariat for your two visits to the Secretariat during your term of office. We were deeply appreciative.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, as we all know, the emergence of the Single Market did not happen overnight. It is a task that the Region has been grappling with since 1989 with the adoption of the Grand Anse Declaration in Grenada. This cause was further pursued through extensive consultations with the people of the Region by the West Indian Commission, led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Sir Shridath Ramphal, and by the signing of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas on 5 July 2001.

However, even though we have now succeeded in bringing the Single Market into being, there is quite some distance yet to be covered to arrive at the single economy. With foresight, vision, and efficient functioning of our institutions allied with the continuing strong leadership as exemplified by the Lead Head of Government with responsibility for this flagship activity of the Community, the Rt. Honourable Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados, we will achieve that goal. Not perhaps without problems.

2006 - A YEAR OF EXCITING ACHIEVEMENTS

Distinguished Heads of Government, Ladies and Gentlemen, the year 2006 - the 33rd in the life of the Community - is proving to be a most exciting one. It began with the launch of the Single Market with effect from 1st January. Secondly, on 21st June the countries of the OECS sub-Region celebrated the 25th Anniversary of their Organisation.

Thirdly, in this initial annus mirabilis, it is with immense pleasure that we welcome the return of Haiti to the Councils of the Caribbean Community. Your presence today, President Preval, is an indication that the people of Haiti have chosen to pursue the path of democracy. It is also a vindication of the principled position taken by the Caribbean Community on the occasion of the interruption of the democratic process in your country in 2004. We know that the coming months will be crucial to the future development of Haiti. As I promised last week when we met with you, Mr. President in Port-au-Prince, the Community stands ready to work with you and your Government to that end.

Ladies and Gentlemen, continuing the exciting events of this year, last month saw the proclamation of June as Caribbean­American Heritage Month by the President of the United States. On the occasion, President George W. Bush stated that "we celebrate the contributions of Caribbean Americans to the fabric of our nation... For centuries, Caribbean Americans have enriched our society and added to the strength of America. They have been leaders in government, sports, entertainment, the arts, and many other fields." This merely serves to confirm the capacity of our Diaspora to contribute to our regional development.

In that spirit, in March of this year, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of CARICOM and the US Secretary of State met and, among other things, agreed to the convening of a Conference on the Caribbean in 2007, in the capital of the United States, with a view to placing Caribbean affairs more firmly on the agenda of the US Government, Business Community and other influential elements of the American society.

Our hemisphere has also been further enhanced in its reach, through the assumption of the Chairmanship of the Rio Group by Guyana in January of this year. The assumption of this leading role by Guyana, on behalf of the Community, in this South American conglomeration, makes Guyana the first English-speaking country to hold this position. CARICOM's relations with the Rio Group are of great importance for the two groupings in the continually emerging face of globalisation.

No doubt a highlight of this year of exciting events and achievement was the declaration of intent by the countries comprising the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States to deepen their integration by forming an economic union. This declaration signed on this very stage on the occasion of the celebrations commemorating the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Basseterre, will bring greater bargaining power to these countries - all Members of the Caribbean Community - for their economic and social development. This will also have spin-off effects for the strengthening, of the wider Caribbean Community.

The flagship activity of the Community, the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), received a further boost last week with the bringing together, in a path-breaking consultation, representatives of Member States, captains of Industry, lead representatives of labour, members of academia and civil society, in a successful three-day symposium in Barbados under the leadership of the Rt. Honourable Prime Minister of Barbados, in pursuance of the Single Economy. This engagement followed the earlier establishment of the Caribbean Business Council also in Barbados in June. Let there be no doubt that the road to the CSME can only be successfully traversed by governments in conjunction with their social partners in business, labour and civil society.

But, Ladies and Gentlemen, there is yet more to come in this year of exciting achievements. During this very ceremony, the Heads of Government of those Member States of the Community who signed the Declaration of Intent on 30 January 2006, at the historic UWI Mona Campus, Jamaica, true to their word, will today, in your very presence, sign the Instrument bringing their countries into the CARICOM Single Market, thus underlining their true commitment to the Caribbean Community. Welcome to the club!

Another major event that will adorn this already exciting year is the Ninth Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARlFESTA), which will take place in Trinidad and Tobago from 22 September to 1 October. This cultural festival, the largest in the Caribbean - and the event perhaps most reflective of the meaning of community; that is the co-mingling of peoples - will also demonstrate the benefits of a true integration movement, for the Festival on this occasion is now being geared towards providing enhanced economic opportunity for our artists and artistes. It is my sincere hope that every Member State will be adequately represented at this cultural extravaganza.

Mr. Chairman, if there were any doubts about the power of culture and sport to bring about enhanced opportunities for our people, they were all wiped away by the phenomenon of the Soca Warriors. We can proudly say that the Soca Warriors represented not only Trinidad and Tobago but the entire Caribbean on the highest world stage of football. They have truly earned our admiration and we shower them with our greatest congratulations.

Distinguished Heads of Government, Ladies and Gentlemen, we also need to remember that in less than a year's time, we will not only be participating, but hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, For this event, we must build on the momentum and example set by the Soca Warriors, and ensure that the event we host is as memorable and, may I dare say, even more successful on the field. There are some hopeful signs for our Team following our recent showing in the One-day Series.

Ladies and gentlemen, as you would have seen, this has been a year of significant achievements, a truly exciting one. I am optimistic that as we deal with the Agenda over the next few days, we will rise from St Kitts and Nevis as a stronger Community - a Community assured of its future direction and ready to assume its role in the wider global arena. Let us also never forget as we share ideas and aim to ensure that this Region is economically, socially, culturally and politically sustainable in today's world, that the well-being of our people is the paramount reason for us being here.

Thank you.